Bartlett Regional Hospital is taking over ownership of an independently-owned pediatric clinic in downtown Juneau.
Glacier Pediatrics has been offering pediatric care in Juneau for more than two decades. But hospital administration says discussions with the practice about its struggles to operate independently have been ongoing over the past month and a half.
The clinic sees children from birth through age 19. Earlier this week, the city-owned hospital’s board of directors voted unanimously to purchase the assets of the practice and bring the clinic under Bartlett’s umbrella of care.
Under the plan approved by the board, the clinic will remain at the same location and its current employees will continue to oversee medical services. Clinic employees will become hospital employees and the clinic will be renamed Bartlett Glacier Pediatrics.
“I think (it’s) very much in the best interest of the hospital to have our dual system, where we still have privately-owned clinics, like Valley Medical, and have the option for corporate hospitals,” said Bartlett Board Member Hal Geiger.
Juneau has continued to see multiple private medical practices consolidate with larger entities, namely the Alaska Native-run Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. In the past two years, SEARHC has acquired multiple clinics throughout the region. This spring, Bartlett similarly took over Family Practice Physicians in the Mendenhall Valley.
The transition for Glacier Pediatrics is estimated to be complete by the start of next year. On Tuesday, the board approved $200,000 to purchase the assets. The purchase comes as Bartlett’s finances appear more secure following a difficult year.
In 2024, the hospital faced a multimillion-dollar deficit that threatened it with bankruptcy. Its board controversially chose to reduce staffing and shut down multiple programs to keep that from happening.
